Scrap dealer’s bargain turns out to be Faberge egg

Scrap dealer’s bargain turns out to be Faberge egg

LONDON (AP) — A London antique dealer says a gold ornament bought by an American scrap-metal dealer has turned out to be a rare Faberge egg worth millions.

Kieran McCarthy of Wartski said Wednesday the egg was purchased at a Midwestern antique fair for about $14,000.

The buyer only began to suspect its value after seeing an article about the 50 imperial Faberge Easter eggs made for Russian royalty. He contacted McCarthy, who verified it and negotiated its sale to a collector.

Both buyer and seller want to remain anonymous, and Wartski did not disclose the sale price.

In 2007, a Faberge egg sold at Christie’s for $18.5 million.

The egg, containing a Vacheron Constantin watch, was an 1887 Easter gift from Czar Alexander III to his wife, Empress Maria Feodorovna.